t£jjc  snlnnliilitij  of  tljr  MJjru  na  iBimse  fur  jflrglrct  nf 
tlmnlrii  ftittj  lit]  tljr  (Cljristinn. 


4 SERMON 


1'REACUF.n  IN 


THE  CHURCH  OF  ST.  JOHN  BAPTIST, 

NEW  YORK, 


Gccottb  Snniian  after  the  Qjpiphann, 


JANUARY  15,  1S60. 


BY  THK 


REV.  CORNELIUS  R.  DUFFIE,  A.M. 

R E C T O B . 


PUBLISHED  BY  REQUEST. 


M.DCCC.LX. 


NEW  YORK: 

DANIEL  DANA,  JR.,  381  BROADWAY.  1 


ifljr  Mnnlrilitq  nf  tjjt  23rntjjnt  na  (Eirnsr  fur  IJrglrrt  uf 
ilrurnlrft  Dnti|  lig  tjjp  (fljristinn. 


A SERMON 


I 


PREACHED  IN 


THE  CHURCH  OF  ST.  JOHN  BAPTIST, 

N E W YORK, 


ON  THE 


Seconb  Snnban  after  the  <0pi^l)aitn, 

JANUARY  15,  1860. 


BY  THE 

REV.  CORNELIUS  R.  DUFFIE,  A.M. 

RECTOR. 


PUBLISHED  BY  REQUEST. 


NEW  YORK: 

DANIEL  DANA,  JR.,  3S1  BROADWAY. 


M.DCCC.LX. 


NEW  TORE  : BILLIN  * BROTHER,  PRINTERS,  20  NORTH  WILLIAM  STREET. 


The  Rev.  Cornelius  R.  Duffie,  Rector  of  the  Church  of  St.  John 
Baptist. 

Rev.  and  Dear  Sir: — We,  the  undersigned,  having  heard  with 
much  pleasure,  and,  we  trust,  profit,  the  able,  useful,  and  seasonable 
discourse  preached  by  you  on  the  second  Sunday  after  the  Epiphany, 
and  believing  that  its  publication  and  circulation  will  tend  to  promote 
important  Christian  truths,  and  the  interests  of  Christ’s  Holy 
Church,  respectfully  and  earnestly  request  that  you  will  furnish  a 
copy  of  the  above-mentioned  discourse  for  publication. 

T.  W.  CLERKE, 

ISAAC  GIBSON, 

RICHARD  STERLING, 

W.  D.  \V ADDINGTON, 

JOHN  LORIMER  GRAHAM, 
WM.  EDGAR  SACKETT, 

D.  EVANS, 

ABRAHAM  VOORHIS, 

T.  B.  BLEECKER, 

D.  G.  RAY. 

New  York,  16<A  January , I860. 


115  East  Thirty-Second  Street, 
New  York,  January  16,  1860. 

Rev.  and  Dear  Brother: — Having  already  privately  expressed  to 
you  my  gratification  on  hearing  the  above-named  discourse,  and  my 
conviction  that  its  publication  would  serve  the  cause  of  Christian 
truth , Church  doctrine , and  sound  morality , and  finding  that  mem- 
bers of  your  congregation  were  equally  impressed  with  the  same 
sentiments,  and  that  there  are  some  points  briefly  and  ably  presented 
therein,  which  are  greatly  misunderstood  and  perverted , and  others 
ignored  and  neglected , to  the  injury  of  Christianity,  you  will  permit 
me  to  urge  you  to  comply  with  the  above  request,  at  your  earliest 
convenience.  Yours,  very  truly, 

SAMUEL  C.  DAVIS. 

To  the  Rev.  Cornelius  R.  Duffie. 


— 4 — 


To  the  Rev.  Samuel  C.  Davis,  the  Hon.  T.  W.  Clerke,  and  Messrs. 

Isaac  Gibson,  Richard  Sterling,  W.  D.  Waddington,  John  Lorimer 

Graham,  Wm.  Edgar  Sackett,  D.  Evans,  Abraham  Voorhis,  T.  B. 

Bleecker,  and  D.  G.  Ray. 

Gentlemen : — Your  request  for  the  publication  of  the  Sermon  de- 
livered by  me, -on  last  Sunday,  is  before  me. 

I need  not  say,  that  the  discourse  alluded  to  was  prepared  without 
the  slightest  idea  of  its  appearance  in  print,  amid  the  pressure  of 
usual  parochial  duties,  and  the  special  ones  which  belong  to  the  New 
Year. 

Still,  I feel  that  I have  no  right  to  withhold  any  thing  that,  in  the 
judgment  of  gentlemen  so  competent  to  form  an  opinion,  may  be 
of  any  service  as  a plain  exposition  of  Scriptural  doctrine  and  duty, 
or  may  serve  to  meet  any  of  the  objections  or  excuses  which  are  so 
generally  offered,  when  the  claims  of  the  Gospel  and  the  Church  are 
presented  to  the  minds  and  consciences  of  men. 

Accordingly,  the  Sermon  is  at  your  disposal,  with  the  regret  only 
that  it  is  not  more  worthy  of  your  good  opinion  and  intention. 

If  it  shall  serve,  in  the  mind  of  any  one,  to  give  a clearer  idea  of 
a much-abused  doctrine  of  both  reason  and  revelation,  or  lead  a sin- 
gle person  to  assume  or  fulfil  his  Christian  responsibilities,  it  will 
amply  repay 

Your  affectionate  friend 

and  servant  in  Christ, 

CORNELIUS  R.  DUFFIE. 


Ntw  York,  January  17th,  1S60. 


S E R M 0 X . 


Acts,  x.  B4,  35. 

“ 0/  a truth,  I perceive  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons  ; hut  in 
every  nation , he  that  feareth  Him,  and  worketh  righteousness , is 
accepted  with  Him.'' 

“The  mercy  of  God,”  we  are  told  in  Holy  Scrip- 
ture, “ is  over  all  His  works.”  His  love,  as  it  is  infin- 
ite, so  also  is  it  all-embracing. 

He  “ willeth  not  that  any  should  perish,  but  would 
have  all  men  to  be  saved.” 

These  great,  and  glorious,  and  comforting  truths,  as 
they  stand  out  iu  illuminated  characters  on  every  page 
of  the  Gospel,  so  also  are  they  written  on  our  hearts. 

And  yet,  how  prone  are  men,  or,  rather,  have  they 
been,  to  restrict  God’s  mercy,  as  regards  the  bestowal 
of  eternal  salvation,  within  narrow  limits ; to  confine 
it  to  their  own  sect  or  party. 

I said,  “how  prone  have  they  been ” to  do  this;  for 
now,  such  is  the  laxity  of  the  prevailing  religious  views, 
especially  iu  our  own  land,  that  many  put  all  religions, 
and  even  the  utter  want  of  any  religion,  on  a level ; 
nay,  dispense  not  only  with  all  fixed  belief,  but  with 


— 6 — 


all  morality,  and  imagine  that  God  not  only  desires  to 
save  all  men — as  indeed  He  does — but  that  He  actual- 
ly will  save  all  men,  no  matter  what  may  be  their  be- 
lief or  unbelief,  their  sins,  or  their  impenitence.  Thus 
does  modern  so-called  liberality  do  away  with  all  con- 
ditions of  salvation  whatsoever,  and  dispense  with  what 
is  not  its  own,  but  God’s,  even  His  truth,  commands, 
and  institutions. 

This  is  the  extreme  opinion  which  characterizes 
modern  religionism  ’ for  I cannot  call  it  religion. 

The  other  and  opposite  extreme  was  the  prevailing 
opinion  in  earlier  times,  when  each  religion  confined 
the  possibility  of  salvation  to  those  within  its  own  pale. 
This  was  especially  the  error,  the  inveterate  prejudice 
of  the  Jewish  nation.  Nor  need  we  be  surprised  at 
their  mistaken,  and,  as  we  think,  uncharitable  opinion. 
It  was,  like  most  errors,  a false  conclusion  from  true 
premises. 

Thus  it  is  true  that  God  had  appointed  to  them  one 
particular  way  of  salvation,  even  of  covenant  member- 
ship in  His  visible  Church,  out  of  which  there  was  no 
promise  of  salvation,  and  out  of  which  they,  the  Jews , 
were  not  to  expect  it.  But  it  by  no  means  followed 
from  this  great  rule  for  their  guidance,  that  others , even 
all  the  Gentile  world,  to  whom  that  way  had  not  been 
revealed,  and  whom,  therefore,  God  had  not  required 
to  walk  in  that  way,  it  by  no  means  followed  that  they 
could  not  be  saved  at  all ; for  then  God,  who  is  the 
equal  and  loving  Father  of  all  men,  would  have  made 
it  known  to  them  as  well  as  to  the  Jews. 

But,  in  their  pride  of  descent  from  Abraham,  and 
all  their  spiritual  privileges  of  a state  of  covenant  with 
God,  the  Jews  could  not  comprehend,  or  at  least  would 


not  receive  the  idea  of  the  salvability  of  the  Heathen. 
Nay,  so  inveterate  were  their  prejudices,  so  far  did 
they  carry  the  notion  that  “salvation  is  of  the  Jews,” 
(as  indeed  it  was,  and  as  our  Lord  Himself  declared  it 
to  he,  but  not  as  they  understood  it,  of  the  Jews  alone,) 
so  far  did  this  notion  prevail,  that  even  those  who  had 
become  Christians  could  not  receive  the  idea  that  the 
Gentiles  should  be  admitted  to  the  same  state  of  cov- 
enant with  God,  and  all  the  blessings  of  membership 
in  His  Church.  Even  the  Apostles  themselves  partook 
of  this  national  prejudice  ; and  it  required  a miraculous 
vision  to  disabuse  the  mind  of  St.  Peter  of  this  narrow 
and  unworthy  view  of  God,  and  of  Ilis  intentions  to- 
wards maukind.  And  yet,  one  would  think  that  the 
glorious  predictions  of  David  and  Isaiah,  the  Royal  and 
the  Evangelical  Prophets,  of  the  enlargement  of  the 
Messiah’s  Kingdom  by  the  gathering  in  of  the  Gentiles, 
were  so  plain  and  explicit  that  their  meaning  could  not 
be  mistaken.  Still,  this  was  not  the  case.  And,  there- 
fore, when  the  time  had  come  in  which  God  would 
open  the  door  of  faith  to  the  Gentiles,  and  call  them 
to  enter  into  Ilis  visible  Church,  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
upon  earth,  He  prepared  the  mind  of  St.  Peter,  who 
was  to  be  the  first  of  the  Apostles  to  use  the  keys  of 
that  kingdom,  and  unlock  the  door  for  the  Gentiles,  as 
well  as  the  Jews,  He  prepared  his  mind  for  the  per- 
formance of  this  great  duty  and  privilege,  by  the  sym- 
bolical representation  which  is  described  in  the  first 
part  of  the  chapter  from  which  our  text  is  taken. 

The  Apostle,  while  at  Joppa,  (the  modern  Jaffa,  on 
the  eastern  shore  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,)  went  up 
on  the  house-top,  a usual  place  of  resort  in  that  time 
and  country,  to  pray.  His  devotions  ended,  he  still 


— 8 — 


lingered  there,  while  they  made  ready  his  noontide  re- 
past. While  feeling  the  cravings  of  hunger,  he  fell 
into  a trance,  in  which  spiritualized  state  he  had  a re- 
markable vision.  As  St.  Luke  describes  it,  he  “ saw  hea- 
ven opened,  and  a certain  vessel  descending  unto  him,  as 
it  had  been  a great  sheet  knit  at  the  four  corners,  and 
let  down  to  the  earth : wherein  were  all  manner  of 
four-footed  beasts  of  the  earth,  and  wild  beasts,  and 
creeping  things,  and  fowls  of  the  air.  And  there  came 
a voice  to  him,  Rise,  Peter;  kill  and  eat.  But  Peter 
said,  Not  so,  Lord  ; for  I have  never  eaten  any  thing 
that  is  common  or  unclean.  And  the  voice  spake  unto 
him  again  the  second  time,  What  God  hath  cleansed, 
that  call  not  thou  common.  This  was  done  thrice : 
and  the  vessel  was  received  up  again  into  heaven.'” 

The  meaning  of  this  vision  was  not  at  first  clear, 
even  to  the  Apostle  himself.  When,  however,  while  he 
was  still  wondering  as  to  its  signification,  the  messen- 
gers from  Cornelius  the  Centurion,  a Heathen  by  birth, 
arrived  to  summon  him  to  Cesarea,  to  preach  the  Gospel 
to  him  and  to  his  family ; and  when  the  Spirit  bade  him 
go  to  this  uncircumcised  Gentile,  nothing  doubting, 
then  he  began  to  understand  the  purport  of  the  vision. 
It  was  this:  that  the  Jewish  distinction  of  clean  and 
unclean  animals  for  food,  which  served  as  a badge  of 
separation  between  Jews  and  Gentiles,  and  the  distinc- 
tion of  clean  and  unclean  nations,  which  the  former 
symbolized,  were  done  away  in  Christ. 

“ By  the  union  of  clean  and  unclean  animals,  in  the 
mystical  sheet  which  contained  all  manner  of  crea- 
tures, was  denoted  the  purification  of  the  Gentiles  by 
faith,  who  were  once  unclean,  and  their  junction  with 
the  believing  Jews,  in  the  Christian  or  Universal 


— 9 — 


Church  while  by  the  receiving  up  of  the  sheet,  with 
all  that  it  contained,  into  Heaven,  was  shown  that  all 
mankind,  Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews,  might  equally  be 
saved — had  an  equal  offer  and  hope  of  admission  there. 
The  threefold  repetition  of  this  symbolical  action  de- 
noted the  truth  and  certainty  of  that  which  it  repre- 
sented ; as  Pharaoh’s  dream  was  doubled  in  token  of  the 
certainty  of  its  fulfilment.  Thus  much  for  the  meaning 
of  the  vision. 

The  previous  error  of  St.  Peter  consisted,  perhaps, 
not  in  the  idea  that  none  but  Jews  by  birth  could  be 
made  members  of  the  Christian  Church,  or  saved  at 
all,  and  that  Gentiles,  under  no  circumstances  or  con- 
ditions, could  be  admitted  to  their  privileges ; but 
rather  that  they  could  not  be  admitted  to  baptism, 
and  all  the  privileges  and  covenanted  promises  of 
Christianity,  without  having  first  been  circumcised, 
and  without  afterwards  observing  all  the  ceremonial 
law  of  Moses,  as  well  as  the  sacraments  and  moral  re- 
quirements of  Christianity.  He  could  not  understand 
that  they  were  to  be  received  immediately,  and  with- 
out passing  through  the  preparatory  system  of  Judaism, 
into  full  communion  with  the  Christian  Church. 

But  this  great  and  glorious  truth,  though  not  imme- 
diately apparent  to  St.  Peter  at  the  close  of  the  vision, 
yet  broke  in  upon  his  mind,  in  all  its  fulness,  when, 
on  reaching  Cesarea,  he  found  the  Gentile  centurion 
and  his  family,  to  whom  the  Spirit  of  God  had  com- 
manded him  to  go  with  the  message  of  the  Gospel, 
* prepared  by  that  same  Blessed  Spirit,  humbly  and 
eagerly  to  hear  and  receive  the  doctrine  of  salvation 
through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ. 

O 


* Bishop  Horne. 


10 


This  centurion,  an  alien  from  the  commonwealth  of 
Israel,  a Heathen  by  birth,  had  yet  been  warned  by  a 
holy  angel  to  send  to  Joppa  for  the  Apostle  of  Christ, 
that  from  him  he  might  hear  words  whereby  he  and 
his  house  might  be  saved.  And  when  St.  Peter  found 
him,  in  compliance  with  this  vision  from  Heaven,  with 
his  family,  and  kinsmen  and  friends  gathered  around 
him,  ready  to  hear  those  precious  and  saving  words, 
his  long-cherished  Jewish  prejudices  at  length  gave 
way ; he  felt  that  under  the  Catholic,  Christian  dispen- 
sation, no  man  was  to  be  esteemed  common  or  unclean, 
though  he  could  not  boast  a descent  from  Abraham ; 
and  he  burst  forth  into  the  frank  confession  of  this 
glorious  truth,  in  the  words  of  our  text : “ Of  a truth  I 
perceive  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons ; but  in 
every  nation,  he  that  feareth  Plim,  and  worketh  right- 
eousness, is  accepted  with  Him.” 

And,  brethren,  when  we  call  to  mind  the  fact  that 
we  ourselves,  and  the  vast  majority  of  mankind,  are  of 
Gentile  origin,  by  our  birth  “ aliens  from  the  common- 
wealth of  Israel,  and  strangers  from  the  covenant  of 
promise,”  and  that,  if  admission  to  that  covenant  here, 
and  to  Heaven  hereafter,  were  confined  to  the  descend- 
ants of  Abraham  according  to  the  flesh,  we  could  claim 
no  share  in  either,  when  we  remember  this,  we  may 
well  rejoice,  and  be  glad  to  hear  that  the  Gospel,  the 
good  tidings  of  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ,  is  for 
all  mankind — for  Gentiles  as  well  as  for  Jews. 

And,  at  this  Epiphany  season,  this  is  the  very  truth, 
the  grand  and  glorious  truth,  to  which  the  Church 
calls  our  grateful  attention ; even  the  opening  wide 
the  door  of  God’s  Church,  the  inviting  all  to  enter  in, 
the  proclaiming  the  offers  of  salvation  to  all  the  world. 


— 11  — 


The  Manifestation  of  Christ,  by  the  leading  of  a star, 
to  the  Heathen  or  Gentile  sages,  their  admission  to  the 
presence  of  the  Divine  Child,  to  offer  to  Him  their 
adoration  and  their  gifts,  symbolized  and  foreshadowed 
the  admission  of  the  Gentiles  to  the  Christian  Church 
on  terms  of  perfect  equality  with  the  Jews.  There  is 
now  neither  Jew  nor  Gentile,  circumcision  nor  uncir- 
cumcision, but  all  are  one  in  Christ  Jesus ; one  in  the 
offers  of  TIis  grace  ; one  in  the  enjoyment  of  a covenant 
state,  and  in  membership  in  Ilis  Church ; one,  in  com- 
munion and  fellowship  on  earth ; one,  in  the  title  to 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven. 

While,  then,  we  joyfully  celebrate  the  Epiphany, 
the  Manifestation  of  Christ  to  the  Gentiles,  let  us  see 
to  it  that  we  are  improving  the  Christian  privileges  to 
which  we  have  been  admitted,  that  so  He  may  mani- 
fest Himself  to  our  souls  in  all  his  love  and  power,  and 
pardoning,  sanctifying  grace. 

But  from  the  words  of  the  text,  and  the  all-em- 
bracing love  of  God  for  all  mankind,  which  they 
declare,  while  yon  learn  a lesson  of  duty , in  return  to 
Him,  as  respects  yom-selves,  I would  have  you  also 
learn  a lesson  of  comfort , and  hope,  and  charity , as  re- 
spects mankind  at  large,  even  the  whole  Heathen  world. 

When  we  look  abroad  over  the  face  of  the  earth, 
and  see  on  how  large  a portion  of  it — rather,  how  on 
the  far  larger  portion  of  its  inhabitants — the  light  of 
Christianity  has  not  yet  shined,  we  may  perhaps  be 
filled  with  grief,  amazement,  and  horror,  and  we  may 
ask  how  so  many  hundreds  of  millions — aye,  or  a 
single  sinner  of  them  all,  a single  human  being — can 
have  been  suffered  to  live  and  die  in  ignorance  of  the 
way  of  eternal  life  and  salvation. 


— 12  — 


But  when  we  remember  the  words  of  the  text,  and 
that  he  to  whom  they  were  addressed  by  the  Apostle, 
was  himself  a Heathen,  who  knew  not  Christ,  but 
whose  “prayers  and  alms”  had  yet  “gone  up  for  a 
memorial  before  God,”  we  may  take  comfort  in  the 
reflection  of  St.  Peter,  “ that  God  is  no  respecter  of  per- 
sons ’ but  in  every  nation  he  that  feareth  Him,  and 
worketh  righteousness,  is  accepted  with  Him”  We 
may  rejoice  in  the  cheering  belief  that  multitudes,  even 
of  the  Heathen,  may  be  saved  through  the  mercy  of 
God,  and  the  merits  and  atonement  of  a Saviour  of 
whom  they  never  heard,  if  they  live  up  to  the  light  of 
Nature  and  of  conscience ; that  light  within  the  bosom 
of  every  man,  which  shows  him  the  Law  of  God  (His 
Moral  Law)  written  there  on  his  heart. 

While  it  is  the  fact,  as  to  Christians,  as  to  ourselves, 
to  whom  the  way  of  life  has  been  revealed,  that  there 
is  but  one  appointed  way , one  Gospel , one  Church,  out 
of  which  there  is  no  covenanted  title  to  salvation,  and 
out  of  which  we,  therefore,  are  not  to  expect  it ; yet 
we  must  not  thence  infer  that  there  is  no  possibility  of 
salvation  out  of  it  for  any.  Itds  a delightful  thought 
that  the  efficacy  of  Christ’s  atoning  sacrifice  and  media- 
tion extends  far  beyond  the  limits  of  Ilis  Church,  far 
beyond  His  covenanted  promise;  even  to  those  who 
never  heard  of  Him,  Ilis  Church,  and  Ilis  Gospel. 

We,  indeed,  are  bound  to  God’s  declared  rule,  we  to 
whom  that  rule  is  known ; we  cannot  dispense  with  a 
single  one  of  the  conditions  which  lie  imposes,  as  the 
terms  of  our  admission  to  Heaven ; but  lie  Himself  is 
not  bound  to  adhere  strictly,  in  all  cases  and  circum- 
stances, (however  diverse,)  to  Ilis  general  rule.  He 
may  dispense,  when  and  where  He  pleases,  with  Ilis 


— 13  — 


own  requirements.  While  justice  forbids  that  lie 
should  demand  more  conditions  than  lie  has  revealed 
to  men,  yet  mercy,  and  even  that  same  justice  itself, 
ask,  not  in  vain,  that  He  accept  less,  in  the  case  of  those 
who  know  them  not. 

Rather,  the  Heathen  form  an  exception,  to  God’s 
general  rule  as  to  the  terms  of  salvation,  and  since  to 
them  He  has  never  made  it  known,  therefore  it  is  not 
required  of  them  to  have  faith  in  Christ. 

Even  as  to  those  in  Christian  lands,  who,  by  the 
misfortune  of  birth  or  early  training,  the  erroneous, 
superstitious,  or  even  heretical  tenets  of  the  sect  in 
which  they  have  been  reared,  those  who  with  the 
Bible  in  their  hands,  yet  from  these  unhappy  circum- 
stances receive  not  its  full  teaching,  God  will  make  all 
due  allowance  for  their  ignorance,  prejudices,  and  the 
obstacles  by  which  they  are  surrounded,  which  hinder 
them  from  seeing  “ the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.” 

And  if  this  be  so,  much  more  may  we  be  very  sure 
in  regard  to  those  who  never  heard  of  Jesus  Christ, 
even  all  the  Heathen  world,  that  God  is  no  “ hard 
master,  reaping  where  He  hath  not  sowed,  and  gathering 
where  he  hath  not  strewed.”  Although  faith  in  Christ, 
and  the  reception  of  the  Sacraments  are  essential  condi- 
tions of  salvation  in  the  case  of  those  to  whom  the  Gos- 
pel has  been  fully  proclaimed,  and  by  whom  it  is  clearly 
understood,  yet  He  does  not  require  faith  in  Christ,  or 
the  reception  of  the  Sacraments  from  those  who  never 
heard  of  Christ  or  His  Church.  But,  as  respects  these 
helpless  victims  of  involuntary  ignorance,  caused  by 
circumstances  beyond  their  control,  and  for  which, 
therefore,  they  are  not  responsible,  “ in  every  nation, 
he  that  feareth  God,”  (the  Supreme  Power  above,  how- 


— 14  — 


ever  ignorant  of  His  true  nature,)  “ he  that  fearetli 
Him,  and  worketh  righteousness,”  (so  far  as  he  is  en- 
lightened, to  know  what  is  right,)  “is  accepted  with 
Him” 

This,  I say,  is  a comforting  reflection,  as  we  look 
abroad  over  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  think  of  the 
myriads  of  Heathen  and  Mahomedans  outnumbering  in 
the  proportion  of  more  than  two  to  one,  the  whole, 
even  nominally,  Christian  population  of  the  globe. 

Still  we  must  guard  against  mistakes  on  this  subject. 
Even  the  Heathen,  who  shall  be  saved  if  they  live 
up  to  the  light  of  nature,  reason  and  conscience,  are 
saved  not  by  their  religion,  but  in  it,  and  in  spite  of  it ; 
they,  as  well  as  Christians,  are  saved  only  by  Christ’s 
death ; they  owe  it,  just  as  much  as  we  do,  to  His 
Atonement,  of  which  they  never  heard ; they  are 
saved  without  actual  faith  in  Him,  yet  only  through 
His  merits;  just  as  infants  are,  who  cannot  believe  in 
Him.  In  the  case  of  both,  faith  in  Christ  is  obviously 
impossible,  and  therefore  God  asks  it  not  of  either,  but 
saves  them  for  Christ’s  sake,  though  they  know  Him 
not  as  their  Saviour. 

The  Church  has  thought  this  a truth  of  such  great 
importance  to  be  observed  and  carefully  distinguished, 
that  she  has  made  it  the  subject  of  one  of  her  Thirty- 
nine  Articles  of  Religion. 

Article  eighteenth  is  entitled,  “ Of  obtaining  salva- 
tion only  by  the  name  of  Christ.”  In  it  she  uses  the 
following  strong  language  : “ They  are  also  to  be  had 
accursed,  that  presume  to  say,  that  every  man  shall  be 
saved  by  the  law  or  sect  which  he  professeth,  so  that 
he  be  diligent  to  frame  his  life  according  to  that  law, 
and  the  light  of  nature.  For  holy  Scripture  doth  set 


— 15  — 


out.  unto  us  only  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  whereby 
men  must  be  saved.” 

But  observe,  my  brethren,  while  the  Church  guards 
so  carefully  the  honor  of  her  Lord,  and  while  the 
Article  utters  such  stern  denunciation  against  any  who 
would  derogate  from  the  universal  necessity  and 
efficacy  of  the  merits  of  Christ,  as  the  only  Saviour 
of  the  world,  it  does  not  say  that  no  one  can  be 
saved  in  a false  religion,  but  only  that  no  one  can  be 
saved  by  it ; that  is,  by  virtue  of  its  intrinsic  ability 
and  efficacy  of  itself  to  save  him. 

The  professors  of  a false  faith  may  indeed  be  saved 
in  their  erroneous  religion,  where  they  know  no  bet- 
ter: this,  the  Church  is  far  from  denying;  but,  if 
saved,  it  will  be  not  by  their  false  religion,  or  the  rule 
of  life  which  they  have  proposed  to  themselves,  but 
only  through  and  by  the  merits,  death,  and  intercession 
of  Jesus  Christ,  the  one  only  Saviour  and  Redeemer  of 
mankind ; that  Saviour  who,  as  He  hung  upon  the 
Cross,  prayed  for  His  blinded  murderers,  “ Father , 
forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do .” 

While,  as  St.  Peter  in  the  text  declares,  “ God  is  no 
respecter  of  persons ; but  in  every  nation,  he  that 
feareth  Him,  and  worketh  righteousness,  is  accepted 
with  Him yet  is  it  also  equally  true,  as  the  same 
Apostle  elsewhere,  explicitly  asserts,  speaking  of  Christ, 
“ neither  is  there  salvation  in  any  other ; for  there  is 
none  other  name,  under  heaven,  given  among  men, 
whereby  we  must  be  saved.” 

If,  then,  Jews,  or  Mahomedans,  or  Pagans,  worship- 
pel's  of  false  gods,  are  saved,  it  will  be,  though  in  their 
religion,  yet  not  by  it,  but  solely  by  the  name,  that  is, 
the  'power , the  love , and  the  death  of  Christ.  To  Him 


— 16  — 


all  the  glory  and  the  praise  belong ; as  they,  who 
never  heard  of  Him  on  earth,  shall  hereafter  own  in 
Heaven,  if  admitted  there.  And  if  I have  dwelt,  with 
some  repetition,  upon  this  truth,  and  the  important 
distinction  to  be  observed  between  the  being  saved  in 
a false  religion,  and  the  being  saved  by  it,  it  is  lest 
Christ  should  be  robbed  of  His  peculiar  glory  which 
He  will  not  give  to  another,  as  the  only  Saviour  of 
men. 

But  let  us,  in  the  last  place,  guard  against  certain 
other  false  inferences  which  may  be  deduced  from  the 
teaching  of  the  text,  or  from  the  whole  subject  involved 
in  that  teaching. 

1.  It  may  be  said,  then,  that  if  the  Heathen  can  be 
saved  in  their  present  condition  of  ignorance  of  Chris- 
tianity, in  their  superstition  and  idolatry,  we  need  not 
concern  ourselves  for  their  conversion,  nor  support 
missions  having  this  object  in  view. 

This  is,  in  effect,  to  say,  that  because  they  may  be 
saved  in  an  exceptional  way , saved  so  as  by  fire,  there- 
fore, we  will  not  make  known  to  them  God’s  appointed 
way  / we  will  not  furnish  them  with  the  clearer  light, 
and  fuller  privileges  and  means  of  grace,  which  we 
enjoy. 

To  argue  thus,  is  to  manifest  a real  apathy  and 
indifference,  not  only  to  the  well-being  of  our  less- 
favored  fellow-men,  but  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
extension  of  the  Redeemer’s  kingdom. 

And  while  we  acknowledge  that  there  is  a possibili- 
ty of  salvation  for  the  Heathen,  in  their  ignorance  of 
Christ,  yet,  when  we  consider  their  general  degradation 
and  viciousness,  how  few  rise  above  the  most  besotted 
idolatry  and  the  most  disgusting  immorality,  and  how 


17  — 


“the  dark  places  of  the  earth  are  full  of  the  habita- 
tions of  cruelty,”  our  duty  is  clear  to  do  what  we  can, 
to  bring  them  to  the  knowledge  of  “the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus,”  to  raise  them  from  the  depth  of  degradation 
into  which  they  are  sunk,  and,  by  imparting  to  them 
the  superior  privileges  which  we  ourselves  enjoy,  to 
promote  their  moral,  social,  spiritual  and  eternal  hap- 
piness, by  teaching  them  to  believe  in,  love  and  obey 
“ the  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  lie  hath  sent.” 

To  refuse,  for  the  reason,  or  rather  on  the  pretext 
named,  to  extend  to  them  our  more  sure  aids  to  salva- 
tion, would  be  like  the  refusal  to  receive  into  our 
staunch  and  well-provided  ship,  a shipwrecked  fellow- 
being,  floating  at  random,  without  chart,  compass  or 
provisions,  on  the  stormy  sea;  because  he  might  be 
saved  on  his  frail  raft,  or  the  portion  of  the  wreck  to 
which  he  was  clinging. 

2.  But,  while  maintaining,  as  we  must,  that  our 
opportunities  and  advantages  for  obtaining  salvation 
are  far  superior  to  those  of  the  Heathen,  and  while  on 
this  fact  we  ground  our  duty  to  extend  the  same  to 
them,  yet  we  must  obviate  the  objection  that  God  is  a 
respecter  of  persons,  from  the  fact,  that  some,  like 
ourselves,  are  born  in  Christian  lands,  while  others , by 
being  born  in  heathen  countries,  are  deprived,  by  His 
providence,  of  the  appointed  means  of  grace. 

The  answer  is  plain ; that,  therefore,  since  this  is  so, 
they  will  not  he  held  to  the  same  responsibility  as  our- 
selves. We  may  safely  leave  their  case  in  the  hands 
of  the  great  Judge  of  all  the  earth,  assured  that  He 
will  do  precisely  what  is  right.  If  the  heathen  have 
less  knowledge  and  fewer  means  of  salvation,  they 
have  less  responsibility,  and  will  hereafter  not  be 
2 


— 18  — 


called  to  so  strict  an  account.  “ He  which  knew  his 
lord’s  will,  and  prepared  not  himself,  neither  did 
according  to  his  will,  shall  be  beaten  with  many 
stripes.  But  he  that  knew  not,  and  did  commit 
things  worthy  of  stripes,  shall  be  beaten  with  few 
stripes.  For  unto  whomsoever  much  is  given,  of 
him  shall  be  much  required ; and  to  whom  men 
have  committed  much,  of  him  they  will  ask  the 
more.” 

This  great  and  equitable  rule  by  which  all  are  to 
be  judged  hereafter,  is  abundantly  sufficient  to  “ vin- 
dicate the  ways  of  God  to  man,”  in  giving  to  some, 
while  He  withholds  from  others,  the  knowledge  of 
the  appointed  way  of  salvation,  and  the  ordinary 
means  for  attaining  it. 

3.  And  finally,  brethren,  while  our  hearts  rejoice, 
at  this  Epiphany  season,  not  only  in  the  fact  that  we, 
who  are  of  Heathen  origin,  have  been  called  into  God’s 
glorious  light,  and  that  Christ  hath  been  manifested 
unto  us  Gentiles,  but  also  in  the  cheering  hope  and 
belief  that  multitudes  of  others,  Heathen  still,  will  be 
saved,  though  not  in  covenant  with  God,  let  us  guard 
this  reasonable  and  comfortable  truth  from  abuse , and 
perversion  to  our  own  neglect  of  knoiun  duty.  Be- 
cause they  may  be  saved,  though  out  of  His  Church, 
it  by  no  means  follows  that  it  is  not  necessary  for  us, 
in  a Christian  land,  to  be  in  the  communion  of  that 
Church.  As  well  might  we  argue  that  because  faith 
in  Christ  is  not  required  of  them,  therefore,  we,  to 
whom  He  has  been  revealed,  can  be  saved,  though  we 
do  not  believe  in  Him.  But  so  far  from  this,  we  may 
be  very  sure,  that  where  the  knowledge  of  our  duty 
has  been  given , the  performance  of  it  wdl  be  required. 


19  — 


We  cannot  rely  upon  the  case  of  the  Centurion  in 
the  text,  as  parallel  to  our  own,  and  flatter  ourselves 
that  because,  “ in  every  nation,  he  that  feareth  God 
and  worketh  righteousness,  is  accepted  with  Him,” 
though  not  in  a covenant  state,  therefore  we  will  be 
accepted  and  saved,  though  not  in  that  state. 

This  is  the  merest  taking  for  granted  the  very  thing 
to  be  proved,  and  which,  so  far  from  being  proved,  or 
even  susceptible  of  proof,  is  demonstrably  untrue. 

For,  we  may  well  ask,  can  he  be  said  either  to  fear 
God,  or  to  work  righteousness,  who  wilfully  or  care- 
lessly neglects  His  sacraments  or  ordinances,  appointed 
and  required  by  God  as  means  of  obtaining  pardon, 
grace  and  salvation,  when  he  knows  and  admits  that 
God  has  appointed  them,  and  does  require  their  ob- 
servance by  him  ? Surely  not. 

And  what,  let  us  ask,  were  the  facts  in  regard  to 
this  Centurion , to  whom  the  words  of  the  text  were 
addressed  ? 

God  sent  an  angel  to  him ; but  for  what  purpose  ? 
To  tell  him  that  it  was  not  necessary  for  him  to  believe 
in  Jesus  Christ,  to  obey  His  laws,  or  to  be  baptized 
into  His  Church  ? No : but  to  bid  him  send  for  the 
Apostle  of  Jesus,  to  hear  and  receive  the  teachings  of 
the  Gospel  at  his  mouth,  and  to  be  made  a member  of 
His  Church,  by  holy  baptism,  that  so  he  might  be 
saved. 

And  so,  if  necessary,  God  would  send  an  angel  to 
you,  now,  rather  than  that  you  should  perish.  But, 
for  you,  it  is  not  necessary.  For  if  an  angel  from 
Heaven  were  to  come  to  you,  at  this  moment,  it  would 
be  only  to  tell  you  what  you  know  well  enough 
already. 


— 20  — 


Repent ; believe  ; be  baptized  ; fear  God  and  keep 
His  commandments,  His  positive  ordinances,  as  well  as 
His  moral  law.  This  would  be  his  message  ; the  very 
message  that  has  been  sounded  in  your  ears  all  your 
lives  long. 

This  is  the  rule  for  all  who  live  in  the  light  of  the 
Gospel,  or  who  have  the  opportunity  of  receiving  its 
light.  This,  I would  say  to  the  objector,  this  is 
plainly  commanded  to  you , and  you  know  it  ‘ and 
yet  you  plead  the  poor  Heathen's  excuse,  who  never  heard 
of  his  duty  in  this  matter,  as  if  you  were  a Heathen, 
and  not  one  living  in  the  light  of  this  Christian  land, 
with  the  Bible,  the  Church,  and  the  Sacraments,  all 
known  to  you,  and  the  use  of  all  within  your  reach, 
nay,  pressed  upon  your  acceptance. 

Suppose,  what  is  analogous  to  your  ease,  that  the 
Centurion,  after  having  heard  the  Gospel,  the  duties  it 
enjoins,  and  the  terms  of  salvation  it  requires,  set  forth, 
had  refused  to  believe,  or,  after  professing  to  believe 
in  it,  had  refused  to  be  baptized,  or  to  maintain 
communion  with  the  Church,  because  a conscientious 
Heathen  could  be  saved  without'  belief  in  the  Gospel 
and  without  baptism,  or  for  any  other  cause  ; think 
ye,  in  that  case,  he  would  have  been  “ accepted  ” by 
God,  or  could  have  been  saved  at  all  ? Better  for 
him  never  to  have  heard  of  Christ,  better  to  have 
remained  in  his  Gentile  ignorance,  than,  after  the 
truth  had  been  made  known  unto  him,  thus  to  act. 
“ For  it  had  been  better  for  them  not  to  have  known 
the  way  of  righteousness,  than,  after  they  have  known 
it,  to  turn  from  the  holy  commandment  delivered  unto 
them.”  Yet  this  is  the  condition  of  multitudes  in  this 
Christian  land  ! 


— 21 


Ah,  brethren,  many  a poor  benighted  Heathen,  who 
perform*  the  duties  (as  lie  esteems  them)  enjoined  by 
his  false  religion ; many  a one  upon  whom  we  look 
down  with  a pity  akin  to  contempt,  will  rise  up  in  the 
Judgment  and  condemn  those  living  in  the  full  blaze  of 
Gospel  light,  surrounded  by  all  its  precious  privileges 
and  means  of  grace,  and  called  by  God  to  employ  and 
improve  them,  but  who  yet  habitually  turn  away  from 
them,  perhaps  with  the  cool  insult  of  utter  indiffer- 
ence, more  insulting  than  open  disbelief  and  rejection 
of  them.  Let  us  beware  lest,  when  many  of  the  de- 
spised Heathen  shall  come  from  the  East  and  from  the 
West,  and  from  the  North  and  from  the  South,  and  sit 
down  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  we,  the  children  of 
that  kingdom,  for  our  own  ingratitude  and  unfaith- 
fulness in  the  use  of  the  means  of  grace  and  salvation 
with  which  God  has  favored  us,  be  thrust  out  into  outer 
darkness,  the  victims  of  an  unavailing,  because  a too 
late  remorse,  for  evermore ! 

Brethren,  if  you  would  not  have  this  for  your  por- 
tion, “fear  God,”  and  show  that  you  fear  Him  by 
“ walking  in  all  His  commandments  and  ordinances,” 
as  they  have  been  revealed  unto  you , and  then  you  shall 
be  “accepted  with  Him,”  in  and  for  the  sake  of  “the 
Beloved.”  Amen. 


THE  END. 


* 


